View Single Post
Old 01-24-2013, 09:04 AM   #38
healhustler
Guru
 
healhustler's Avatar
 
City: Longboat Key, FL
Vessel Name: Bucky
Vessel Model: Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,196
Hmm. When I think of how I plan for using rudder, wind and prop-wash on my single, if I got into one of your twins right now and had to do the same docking maneuvers, I'd probably make a real fool of myself.

Handling of my boat changes with things like "how clean is the prop" or "how much water and fuel", etc.. The prop-wash with empty tanks will spin you like a top, but get that boot stripe two inches lower toward the water, and you've got a prop with less variable density over its rotation, becoming more subtle in its scoot. Maybe it takes twice the goose to provoke the same movement. When my prop needs cleaned, you know it. A rougher surface produces lots more confused water and it becomes less responsive.

There's a guy here in the marina I'm staying in who took his 30 ft. Silverton (twin Cruisaders) out for the first time just the other day. His props were caked with so much growth that the boat couldn't respond in any predictable way. Poor guy had to be walked back in to the slip with all of us climbing on everyone else's boats the whole way in. Now he's lost confidence and doesn't want to "boat" anymore. Despite our encouragement to try after he cleans his props, he thinks it's "him".

Witnessing that, it made me wonder how many get aboard boats that aren't even fit enough to respond as they would normally, and they never get a chance to gain a accurate point of reference on either boat or operator. I'm surprised how many AGLCA members report that their loop boat is there first boat experience. With the plethora of different handling hulls, and everything that alters the fundamental handling characteristics that can be taught, it's little wonder that we have challenges at the dock.
healhustler is offline   Reply With Quote